Heat exchanger

Abstract

configured to be coupled to a vehicle cooler (4) (2) and to be mounted on the roof outside of said vehicle (2), the heat exchanger (1) comprising a housing (5), a first fluid circuit included in said housing (5), a cover (6) mounted on said housing (5) so as to close it removably, and means for fixing the housing to said roof, the housing (5) comprising a front vent (7) forming an air inlet and a side vent (7) forming an air outlet, the heat exchanger (1) further comprising a cooling system (3) for a first heat transfer fluid included in said first fluid circuit and configured to allow heat exchange between said first heat transfer fluid and air entering through said air inlet and exiting through said air outlet. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig 1

Description

Title of the invention: Heat exchanger

[0001] The present invention relates to cooling devices enabling the user of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, such as a caravan, a van or a camper van, to obtain cooling of the ambient air in the passenger compartment of said vehicle.

[0002] The present invention aims to provide a heat exchanger and a cooling system for a vehicle passenger compartment which minimize the temperature of the air entering an evaporative air cooler already installed on said vehicle, so as to increase the overall cooling provided and reduce energy consumption, by using the air naturally arriving at the vehicle during its movement. Prior Art

[0003] Cooling means are known which make it possible to cool the air in the passenger compartment of a vehicle by air, such as the heat exchanger described in document WO201908997, but none is coupled to a cooler to supplement the cooling provided by the latter upstream.

[0004] Known solutions are energy-intensive and complex to implement, and do not use the cooling provided by the air flow generated naturally by the movement of the vehicle. Statement of the invention

[0005] The invention aims to overcome at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks and to propose a heat exchanger capable of combining the advantages of speed, simplicity and reliability for its implementation, and this on a wide range of motor vehicles, in particular camper vans, converted or non-converted vans, caravans and the like.

[0006] In view of the foregoing, the subject of the invention is a heat exchanger configured to be coupled to a vehicle evaporative air cooler and to be fixed to the roof outside said vehicle, the heat exchanger comprising a housing, a first fluid circuit included in said housing, a cover mounted on said housing so as to removably close it, and means for fixing the housing to said roof, the housing comprising a front vent forming an air inlet and a lateral vent forming an air outlet, the heat exchanger further comprising a system for cooling a first heat transfer fluid included in said first fluid circuit and configured to allow heat exchange between said first heat transfer fluid and air entering through said air inlet and leaving through said air outlet.

[0007] Preferably, the heat exchanger comprises a second fluid circuit comprising a tempered fluid inlet connection for a second heat transfer fluid included in the second fluid circuit and passing through the housing and configured to be connected to an inlet of a second heat transfer fluid, the second fluid circuit further comprising a cooled fluid outlet connection passing through the housing and configured to be connected to an outlet of a second cooled heat transfer fluid, said outlet of a second cooled heat transfer fluid being configured to be fluidically connected to the inlet of the vehicle cooler, the heat exchanger being further configured so that the first heat transfer fluid and the second heat transfer fluid cannot mix but can exchange calories in the housing thanks to the cooling system.

[0008] For example, the second fluid circuit comprises a reservoir of the second heat transfer fluid, and the cooling system comprises a refrigerating element immersed in said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid, a condenser placed opposite the front ventilation and adapted to receive air coming from an air flow arriving at the housing and penetrating the front ventilation, a compressor configured to circulate said first heat transfer fluid when it is operating, said first fluid circuit being able to circulate said first heat transfer fluid in the condenser so as to allow a heat exchange between an air flow arriving in said condenser from the air inlet and said first heat transfer fluid, the heat exchanger being further such that the refrigerating element is part of the first fluid circuit and comprises first heat transfer fluid,said refrigerating element being configured to pass through said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid so as to allow a heat exchange between the first fluid included in said refrigerating element and the second fluid included in said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid without exchange of material between said first and second fluids.

[0009] Advantageously, the first fluid circuit comprises an expansion valve configured to absorb the mechanical stresses of the first fluid circuit occurring during changes in temperature and expansion of the first heat transfer fluid and / or components of said first fluid circuit during operation of the cooling system.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the refrigerating element takes the form of a coil configured to maximize the exchange surface between said refrigerating element and the second heat transfer fluid included in the tank.

[0011] In one embodiment, the cover has an aerodynamic shape configured to facilitate airflow onto the housing and bypassing the front vent.

[0012] Advantageously, the heat exchanger comprises solar panels on the roof of the vehicle and / or on the cover.

[0013] The heat exchanger may further provide that the second fluid circuit is coupled to a sanitary water network of the vehicle, said sanitary water network comprising a sanitary water tank and a pump, the second heat transfer fluid being sanitary water from said sanitary water tank.

[0014] The invention also relates to a heat exchange system for a vehicle, comprising a heat exchanger as described above, a vehicle cooler, the sanitary water network comprising the sanitary water tank and the vehicle pump.

[0015] The invention further relates to a vehicle which comprises a cooling system as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0016] The invention will be better understood from a detailed study of an embodiment taken as a non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

[0017] [Fig-1] represents a heat exchanger according to the invention, installed on a vehicle, in perspective view.

[0018] [Fig.2] schematically represents the heat exchanger coupled to a vehicle network, in side view.

[0019] [Fig.3] represents the heat exchanger closed by its aerodynamic cover, in front perspective view.

[0020] [Fig.4] represents the heat exchanger closed by its aerodynamic cover, in rear perspective view.

[0021] [Fig.5] schematically represents the operation of the cooling circuit of the heat exchanger.

[0022] [Fig.6] shows the open heat exchanger, without its cover, in rear perspective view. Detailed description of the figures

[0023] [Fig. 1] illustrates the heat exchanger of the invention, which is configured to be coupled to a vehicle evaporative air cooler 4, in particular of the passenger compartment air of said vehicle 2 and to be fixed on the roof outside said vehicle 2.

[0024] The heat exchanger 1 comprises a housing 5, a first fluid circuit included in said housing 5, a cover 6 mounted on said housing 5 so as to close it in a removable manner.

[0025] The housing 5 has for example a dimension included in a parallelepiped of length between twenty and thirty centimeters, a height between ten and fifteen centimeters, and a width between ten and twenty centimeters.

[0026] The housing 5 comprises a front ventilation 7 forming an air inlet and a lateral ventilation 7 forming an air outlet.

[0027] The heat exchanger 1 differs from all known cooling devices of a fluid on board a vehicle, in that it further comprises a cooling system 3 for a first heat transfer fluid included in said first fluid circuit and configured to allow heat exchange between said first heat transfer fluid and air entering through said air inlet and exiting through said air outlet.

[0028] Thus, the cooling takes place between ambient air arriving from the front of the housing 5 and entering through said air inlet, and a heat transfer fluid.

[0029] This first heat transfer fluid is a cooling refrigerant which may be, for information purposes, water, but any fluid suitable for transporting calories may be provided, in particular a refrigerating liquid, or a pressurized fluid.

[0030] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the heat exchanger 1 is installed as an additional component near the air cooler 4.

[0031] Its main function is to reduce the temperature of the fluid, in particular water, entering said cooler 4, which allows more efficient cooling of the air by this cooler 4.

[0032] By lowering the water temperature, the air cooler 4 can blow cooler air, thereby creating a more comfortable environment for the user in the passenger compartment.

[0033] For optimal performance, it is recommended to install the heat exchanger as close as possible to the air cooler 4.

[0034] In addition, its rooftop installation has the added advantage of being able to harness solar energy through solar panels for power supply, to further optimize the cooling potential provided.

[0035] Thus, the heat exchanger 1 advantageously comprises solar panels 30 on the roof of the vehicle 2 and / or on the cover 6, said solar panels 30 being configured to electrically power the cooling system 3 and / or the cooler 4, in particular with a power of 12A / 220V.

[0036] Preferably, the heat exchanger 1 comprises a second fluid circuit.

[0037] The second fluid circuit comprises a tempered fluid inlet connection for a second heat transfer fluid 16 included in the second fluid circuit and passing through the housing 5 and configured to be connected to an inlet of second heat transfer fluid 17.

[0038] The second fluid circuit further comprises a cooled fluid outlet connection 18 passing through the housing 5 and configured to be connected to an outlet for a second cooled heat transfer fluid 19.

[0039] Said outlet of second cooled heat transfer fluid 19 is configured to be fluidically connected to the inlet of the cooler 4 of the vehicle 2, for example via a tubular connection 13, the heat exchanger 1 being further configured so that the first heat transfer fluid and the second heat transfer fluid cannot mix but can exchange calories in the housing 5 thanks to the cooling system 3.

[0040] For example, the second fluid circuit comprises a reservoir of the second heat transfer fluid 23, and the cooling system 3 comprises a refrigerating element 25 immersed in said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid 23, a condenser 26 placed opposite the front ventilation 7 and adapted to receive air coming from an air flow arriving at the housing 5 and penetrating the front ventilation 7, a compressor 24 configured to circulate said first heat transfer fluid when it operates, said first fluid circuit being able to circulate said first heat transfer fluid in the condenser 26 so as to allow a heat exchange between an air flow 14 arriving in said condenser 26 from the air inlet and said first heat transfer fluid, the heat exchanger 1 being further such that the refrigerating element 25 is part of the first fluid circuit and comprises first heat transfer fluid,said refrigerating element 25 being configured to pass through said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid 23 so as to allow a heat exchange between the first fluid included in said refrigerating element 25 and the second heat transfer fluid included in said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid 23 without exchange of material between said first and second fluids.

[0041] As illustrated by [Fig. 5], the first fluid circuit comprises a cooled portion 21.., and a hot portion 22 being cooled by the condenser 26, whereas the second fluid circuit comprises only a cooled portion transporting the second heat transfer fluid between the inlet 17 and the outlet 19 from and to the connections 16 and 18, in heat exchange in the reservoir 23 with the first heat transfer fluid included in the first fluid circuit, in particular in the refrigerating element 25.

[0042] The condenser 26 removes excess heat from the cooling system 3, maintaining constant and invigorating coolness.

[0043] The compressor 24 is like the heart of this product, since it compresses and pumps the first heat transfer fluid serving as cooling refrigerant through the first fluid circuit, making it very cold.

[0044] The compressor 24 is for example coupled to an expansion valve 28 promoting its energy performance and releasing the mechanical constraints due to the different thermal expansions of the components, in the manner of the expansion valve 27.

[0045] It is therefore essential to keep everything cool and in good working order.

[0046] The condenser 26 may include an added fan to promote heat exchange with the air arriving from the air inlet.

[0047] The compact design of the condenser 26 and its advanced cooling technology make it an essential element for providing cold water on demand.

[0048] A heat exchanger 1 is thus produced which provides a cooling improvement solution specially designed for evaporative air coolers, which integrates a refrigerant-based system and uses a cold heat exchanger to achieve water cooling efficiency, with particularly increased cost-effectiveness and very ergonomic integration.

[0049] The heat exchanger 1 could also be compatible with portable evaporative air coolers used inside the vehicle 2.

[0050] Advantageously, the first fluid circuit comprises an expansion valve 27 configured to absorb the mechanical stresses of the first fluid circuit occurring during changes in temperature and expansion of the first heat transfer fluid and / or components of said first fluid circuit during operation of the cooling system 3, as illustrated by Figures 5 and 6.

[0051] The expansion valve 27 thus helps to control the flow rate of the first heat transfer fluid. It allows the water to be cooled quickly and efficiently by expanding the mixture of air and first heat transfer fluid that may be present in the first fluid circuit.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the refrigerating element 25 takes a serpentine shape configured to maximize the exchange surface between said refrigerating element 25 and the second heat transfer fluid included in the second heat transfer fluid reservoir 23.

[0053] The second heat transfer fluid thus circulates through a sort of copper coil inside the second heat transfer fluid reservoir 23, which transfers the cold from the refrigerating element 25 into the second heat transfer fluid as it passes over this coil and through the second heat transfer fluid reservoir 23.

[0054] The second heat transfer fluid reservoir 23 may in particular be a thermally insulated reservoir, for example heat-insulated, capable of maintaining very low temperatures.

[0055] As illustrated by [Fig.2], the heat exchanger 1 can further provide that the second fluid circuit is coupled to a sanitary water network 11 of the vehicle 2, said sanitary water network 11 comprising a sanitary water tank 9 and a pump 10, the second heat transfer fluid being sanitary water from said sanitary water tank 9.

[0056] This heat exchanger 1 is specifically designed for evaporative air coolers, rather than air conditioners, because, unlike air conditioners which use a refrigerant to cool the air, this heat exchanger 1 uses a refrigerant 25 to cool the water which enters the second heat transfer fluid tank 23, which is in particular a sanitary water tank 23.

[0057] As illustrated by Figures 3 and 4, the cover 6 may have an aerodynamic shape dynamically configured to facilitate an airflow arriving at the housing 5 and bypassing the front ventilation 7.

[0058] The cover 26 may include thermal insulation to prevent loss of cold and heating by the sun.

[0059] The design of the housing 5 and especially of its cover 6 aims to reduce aerodynamic drag thanks to gentle curves and a lower lower section for the air to pass over, which allows the user to fix the product on the roof of his vehicle 2, in particular his camper van, as close as possible to his air cooler 4 already placed on the roof, thus guaranteeing better results.

[0060] The heat exchanger 1 can also be fixed to any type of vehicle: a camper van, a van, a truck, etc.

[0061] The finish of this housing 5 and the cover 6 could be modified to allow users to adapt it to their vehicle style, in particular their camper van.

[0062] The heat exchanger 1 could be sold in a single color or offer a range of colors for users.

[0063] The lateral ventilation 8 can also be used to stylize the housing 5.

[0064] The heat exchanger 1 may comprise means 20 for fixing the housing 5 to said roof, visible in [Fig.4].

[0065] The invention also relates to a heat exchange system for a vehicle, comprising a heat exchanger 1 as described previously and a cooler 4 of vehicle 2, the sanitary water network 11 comprising the sanitary water tank 9 and the pump 10 of the vehicle 2.

[0066] It may be provided that these internal connections 12 of the sanitary water network 11 internal to the vehicle 2, between the sanitary water tank 9 and / or the pump 10 and / or the heat exchanger 1, are thermally insulated, so as to avoid unwanted heat losses, in particular untimely heating.

[0067] The invention also relates to a vehicle 2 which comprises such a cooling system.

[0068] The fixing means 20 make it possible to fix the heat exchanger 1 on the roof of the vehicle 2 or at the preferred location.

[0069] It is then sufficient to connect the inlet 16 to the water tank 9 of the vehicle 2 via the second heat transfer fluid inlet 17 and the pump 10 pre-existing in the vehicle, then to connect the outlet 18 to the air cooler 4 of the vehicle 2, and to connect the heat exchanger 1 to the electrical supply, for example by an electrical cable 15.

[0070] The electronics of the heat exchanger 1, comprising for example an electronic card 29, is arranged for example inside the housing 5, and makes it possible to control the electrical power supply, the time delay, the sensors, etc.

[0071] Thus, when the vehicle 2 is moving, the air cooler 4 can be started to cool the water as it is pumped into the air cooler 4, with prior cooling by the heat exchanger 1 using the air entering at varying speeds from the front of the vehicle 2.

Claims

Claims

1. Heat exchanger (1) configured to be coupled to an evaporative air cooler (4) of a vehicle (2) and to be fixed on the roof outside said vehicle (2), the heat exchanger (1) comprising a housing (5), a first fluid circuit included in said housing (5), a cover (6) mounted on said housing (5) so as to removably close it, and means (20) for fixing the housing to said roof, the housing (5) comprising a front vent (7) forming an air inlet and a side vent (7) forming an air outlet, the heat exchanger (1) being characterized in that it further comprises a cooling system (3) for a first heat transfer fluid included in said first fluid circuit and configured to allow a heat exchange between said first heat transfer fluid and air entering through said air inlet and leaving through said air outlet.

2. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a second fluid circuit comprising a tempered fluid inlet connection for a second heat transfer fluid (16) included in the second fluid circuit and passing through the housing (5) and configured to be connected to a second heat transfer fluid inlet (17), the second fluid circuit further comprising a cooled fluid outlet connection (18) passing through the housing (5) and configured to be connected to a second cooled heat transfer fluid outlet (19), said second cooled heat transfer fluid outlet (19) being configured to be fluidically connected to the inlet of the cooler (4) of the vehicle (2), the heat exchanger (1) being further configured so that the first heat transfer fluid and the second heat transfer fluid cannot mix but can exchange calories in the housing (5) thanks to the cooling system (3).

3. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 2, in which the second fluid circuit comprises a reservoir of the second heat transfer fluid (23), and the cooling system (3) comprises a refrigerating element (25) immersed in said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid (23), a condenser (26) placed opposite the front ventilation (7) and adapted to receive air coming from an air flow arriving at the housing (5) and penetrating the front ventilation (7), a compressor (24) configured to circulate said first heat transfer fluid when it operates, said first fluid circuit being capable of circulating said first heat transfer fluid in the condenser (26) so as to allow a heat exchange between an air flow arriving in said condenser (26) from the air inlet and said first heat transfer fluid, the heat exchanger (1) being further such that the refrigerating element (25) is part of the first fluid circuit and comprises first heat transfer fluid, said refrigerating element (25) being configured to pass through said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid (23) so as to allow a heat exchange between the first fluid included in said refrigerating element (25) and the second fluid included in said reservoir of second heat transfer fluid (23) without exchange of matter between said first and second fluids.

4. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 3, wherein the first fluid circuit comprises an expansion valve (27) configured to absorb the mechanical stresses of the first fluid circuit occurring during changes in temperature and expansion of the first heat transfer fluid and / or components of said first fluid circuit during operation of the cooling system (3).

5. Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of claims 3 and 4, wherein the refrigerating element (25) takes a serpentine shape configured to maximize the exchange surface between said refrigerating element (25) and the second heat transfer fluid included in the tank (23).

6. A heat exchanger (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cover (6) has an aerodynamic shape configured to facilitate an air flow arriving at the housing (5) and bypassing the front vent (7).

7. Heat exchanger (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising solar panels (30) on the roof of the vehicle (2) and / or on the cover (6), said solar panels (30) being configured to electrically power the cooling system (3).

8. Heat exchanger (1) according to claim 2 and any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second fluid circuit is coupled to a sanitary water network (11) of the vehicle (2), said sanitary water network (11) comprising a sanitary water tank (9) and a pump (10), the second heat transfer fluid being sanitary water from said sanitary water tank (9).

9. Heat exchange system for a vehicle, comprising a heat exchanger (1) according to claim 8, a cooler (4) of the vehicle (2), the sanitary water network (11) comprising the sanitary water tank (9) and the pump (10) of the vehicle (2).

10. A vehicle (2) which comprises a cooling system according to claim 9.

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